Send all your eco-inquiries to Jennifer Grayson at eco.etiquette@gmail.com. Questions may be edited for length and clarity.
My daughter opened up my pantry the other day and said that all the canned soups I eat every day for lunch have the chemical BPA in them. Is this true? What else has BPA in it that I don't know about?
-Eve
For those concerned about serious health conditions (breast and prostate cancer, sexual development abnormalities, and now heart disease) linked to packaging additive bisphenol A (BPA), there's promising news: Earlier this month, the FDA reversed its stance on the chemical, saying it is now "taking reasonable steps to reduce human exposure to BPA in the food supply." It's a monumental first step, as is the move by cities and states around the country to ban the suspected endocrine disruptor from baby products like formula cans and sippy cups. It could still be years, though, before we see BPA removed from thousands of other products on the market -- including those canned soups that you enjoy every day for lunch (more on that later).
What has upset me most about the BPA issue is that we consumers haven't been granted the knowledge to decide for ourselves whether or not we want to buy products that are packaged with it. As with genetically modified foods, it's a consumer guessing game: To date, there are still no labeling requirements for thousands of industrial chemicals like BPA that turn up in our food stuffs and packaging. Of course, there's calorie, fat, and sodium information clearly printed on the package of every last Keebler cookie, but say you want to know if there's a toxic chemical in your can of bean soup that could to lead to breast cancer? Forget it folks, you're on your own.
Well, not any longer. Stick to these tips, and eliminate even the sneakiest sources of BPA from your diet.
Swap out your soup. A recent Consumer Reports test found BPA in 19 name-brand foods; the highest levels were in canned soup, including Campbell's chicken noodle -- not the therapeutic effect you want for someone fighting off a cold. I've since switched to Dr. McDougall's BPA-free soups packaged in FSC-certified cartons, or I make my own from scratch. Which brings me to my next tip...
Beware the beans. Don't reach for canned beans to whip up that batch of black bean chili, unless you're going to buy Eden Organic -- amazingly, the only brand on the market to use BPA-free cans. Westbrae Natural, for instance, says on its website that the lining of its cans is "a type of food-grade epoxy...the simplest earth friendly coating available." But, it was revealed in a follow-up phone call that its cans do, in fact, contain trace amounts of BPA. Dried beans are a safe bet, plus they're considerably cheaper.
Toss the tomatoes and tuna. You may love making pasta sauce from scratch, but even that innocent looking little can of tomato paste likely has BPA lurking in its lining. All the more reason to plant your own tomatoes, or check out the Bionaturae brand of tomato paste, which comes in a nifty little glass jar. Canned tuna, and even my favorite health food, sardines, aren't safe either. You can find tuna in glass as well, though it's pricey (but thanks to the mercury content, you shouldn't be eating it that often anyway).
Gossip, don't drink at, the water cooler. It's been well publicized that polycarbonate water bottles leach BPA, which is why Nalgene phased it out of its sports bottles. But how many of you have reached for the office water cooler to fill up your Kleen Kanteen, or have bottled water delivery at home because you think the water is "safer" than tap? Surprise -- those cooler bottles are made from the same BPA-laden No. 7 plastic that was used for the original Nalgene bottles. Invest in a water filtration system or switch to a Brita pitcher, which is BPA-free.
Ditch the Diet Coke. And the regular Coke. And the Pepsi, Sprite, Fanta, Mountain Dew, and any other soda or energy drink that comes in a can, while you're at it (as if you needed more motivation to stop guzzling liquid candy, anyway): A study last year by Health Canada found that the majority of soft drinks contain BPA. If you have to get your pop fix, at least enjoy it the old-fashioned way: in a glass bottle.
Protect those pearly whites. If you wind up at the dentist with a cavity thanks to all that soda pop, make sure you ask about the sealant he's using -- there is evidence that some dental sealants may contribute to BPA exposure.
Remember: When in doubt, ask. Even companies implying that they offer BPA-free products can't be trusted, as so many of us learned when reusable water bottle maker Sigg came clean earlier this year about the BPA in its liners. And if it turns out that BPA is in the product of the company you're contacting, don't be afraid to say that you'll no longer be buying that product. Until the laws change, consumer demand is the only leverage we have.
Send all your eco-inquiries to Jennifer Grayson at eco.etiquette@gmail.com. Questions may be edited for length and clarity.
Follow Jennifer Grayson on Twitter: www.twitter.com/jennigrayson
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Ordered Pomi tomatoes from vitacost.com, and they are delicious as well as packed in tetrapak, which is BPA free. I also buy broths in tetrapak & make soups from that.
Saw an article months ago on Mother Earth News, I think, about the BPA in food processors. It leaches more if you dishwash them, and the most if the food in them gets hot (like when I make peanut butter or bread dough!)
Also recently replaced my electric tea kettle (plastic - sunbeam replied to my email query telling me how safe BPA was) with a Black & Decker stainless one. There's a plastic window on the side, but they told me it had no BPA.
I think there are a lot more sources that are a lot sneakier than the ones listed in this article!!! (including toilet paper, I just read on another site!)
Thanks for bringing up these important health topics.
Keep the articles coming!
Thanks for the article Jennifer. I really appreciate the information.
#2,#4,#5 are listed as safest.
Good to know.
:-]
Sarah
The results of Canada’s survey clearly indicate that exposure to BPA through the consumption of bottled water does not pose a health risk to consumers.
TOM LAURIA/ International Bottled Water Association
The link below is from FDA’s website and was added on August 15th. This is a draft assessment of Bisphenol A for use in food contact applications. This is a draft document that does represent any agency determination or policy.
http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/ac/08/briefing/2008-0038b1_01_02_FDA%20BPA%20Draft%20Assessment.pdf.
I hope this is helpful to you.
Regards,
Stewart
CDR C. Stewart Watson, REHS
U.S. Public Health Service
Public Affairs Specialist
Florida District FDA
Phone - 407.475.4756
Fax - 407.475.4768
The Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service
"Protecting, promoting, and advancing the health and safety of the Nation."
8/18/08
What studies are you guys doing on bpa? I've seen the other ones and I want to know what independent studies are we doing? Is this stuff harmful? I have a two year old daughter. Have you guys allowed her to be at risk? I don't take chances with my daughter and your not allowed to either. Please E-Mail me back and let me know what your plans are. I pray to God you people are not going to sit and wait to see if something bad happens.
Basically, it's polycarbonate and epoxy. Other plastics do not contain BPA.
www.rebeccablood.net/thriftyo/.../how_to_cook_beans.html -